


Lost and Found

by Opium_Smoke



Series: Collared [2]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Drama, Fear, Gen, May contain spoilers, Mild/Minor Angst, Parental!Maes, References to dark themes, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-01
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-03-26 14:38:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3854398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opium_Smoke/pseuds/Opium_Smoke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blown up laboratories, supposedly dead nobles and secret basements, just another day at work for Lieutenant Colonel Hughes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler) © Yana Toboso. Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (Fullmetal Alchemist) © Hiromu Arakawa. No profit is being made from this story. This story does not necessarily reflect the author’s religious views, beliefs or morals.
> 
> AN (may contain spoilers for story and cannon): This was the second idea to rear it’s head. I think I wanted to explore Ciel's character a little. He's such a proud, determined, hard character in the last snapshot, I guess I wanted to see him before all that. Probably was also influenced by the creation of a table detailing the nature of the relationships Ciel has to the people around him. 
> 
> Once again Maes got the position of father figure, partially set up in the previous snapshot. I was really pleased with how this came out. It’s a little long, but it needed the space. I think this was one of the ones I wrote in one really long sitting, which was nice for a change. Didn't like how late at night it started coming out, I ended up burning the midnight and morning oil for it. 
> 
> Funny thing actually, my beta caught out this massive mistake that I spent about the next ten minutes of our meeting berating myself over. The thing is, it only occurred to me to get her to read the history/background, files I made for this story when we were doing the second editing round for snapshots 1-7. So she read it and then read snapshot two. She seemed really puzzled by some things. I didn't get what was so odd at first, until I checked the alternate timeline I created: Edward hadn’t even done the human transmutation yet and I’d written him into the military. I felt so stupid and I'm sure the rest of the cafe patrons thought I was more than a little crazy, when I started head-desking. 
> 
> Conception Date: 22/12/2012  
> Completion Date: 15/02/2013
> 
> ATTENTION: I currently have a survey running to get feedback about what readers would like to read more of, as I start planning my publishing schedule for the first half of next year. You guys are extra special since, unlike the fanfiction.net readers, you get to give me more specific requests, so take advantage of it while you can. The survey will run until sometime in December and can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8687GML

Maes stepped past the cordon his men had set up, surveying the damage. Half of Lab Eight was gone, the other half was barely standing. Rubble and metal beams littered the area. Seriously, it looked like Armstrong had been given leave to dance through the building, minus statues of the “Armstrong physique that has been passed down for generations!” But then again, better Armstrong than Kimberly. Maes shuddered at the thought. A young man with olive skin and a shock of white blonde hair, approached Maes and saluted.

 

‘Major Brodrick, reporting Sir.’

 

‘Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. At ease. What’s the damage like?’ Maes asked. The major relaxed and sighed.

 

‘The structural engineers have written it completely off. They say not to go under any standing parts of the building. Also be extremely careful of where you step. There seem to have been some basement levels, and the rubble still hasn’t settled, so there is still a chance of a cave in.’    

 

‘Any survivors?’ He asked the Major standing next to him.

 

‘No surviving... personnel so far sir.’ The soldier replied.

 

‘But?’ prompted the Lieutenant colonel, sensing the man’s hesitation

 

‘There is a boy in the middle of the rubble.’ Maes frowned, if there was still a survivor the medical team and rescue squad should be at work, not hanging back at the fringe of the scene.

 

‘He’s not trapped or anything.’ The Major hastened to reassure his superior, seeing the frown and anticipating the man’s line of thought. ‘He refuses to move from where he is. We have tried moving him by force, but he’s like a wild animal and we’re pretty sure he isn’t a chimera. He’s bitten three of the men, one of them needed stitches. He’s also got rather sharp nails, he almost took a man’s eye out. We’ve asked him why he won’t leave but the boy just keeps saying that if he leaves, _he_ won’t be able to find him.’

 

‘ _He_?’ Questioned Maes ‘Where’s the boy?’

 

‘This way, sir’ Major Brodrick picked his way through the rubble his superior following. ‘The boy won’t tell us who “ _he”_ is. We have a medic and a soldier keeping an eye on him. The boy is sheltering under two pieces of concrete leaning against each other. But there is debris on top of the concrete. It’s not very stable, but we’ve set up extra support where we can. One of the rescue squads is clearing the rubble on top as best they can, but it’s slow going. The space the boy is in is so narrow only one man can fit in at a time.’ He paused for a moment before continuing hesitantly. ‘There’s something strange about all this. There’s something wrong about that boy.’ Brodrick said shaking his head in puzzlement. ‘But I can’t figure it out.’

 

The men crested a hill of rubble and looked down on the scene before them. A few soldiers were shifting debris from one side of what appeared to a shallow crater. Maes observed them for a couple of moments before turning to look at the way they had come, observing the level of destruction; the larger pieces of debris further away and how they got smaller the closer they got to the centre of the crater. He turned a speculative eye towards the major; the man had a sharp eye and good intuition, even if he couldn’t quite understand what it was trying to tell him.    

 

‘It’s almost as if the boy was the epicentre of the destruction, right?’ He mused to the Major, looking at him slyly. The man looked up startled.

 

‘Well, yes. Silly as it sounds. But I don’t see how he could have caused all this.’ The Major gestured helplessly. Maes grinned at the Major and clapped one hand on his shoulder. ‘You have good intuition and a sharp eye. Good work Major, now all you need is experience and you’ll go far in investigations.’ With that, Maes started down the slope, leaving a surprised and befuddled Major to scramble after him.

 

Upon arriving on the scene, Maes heard the medic wearily trying to coax out the boy.

 

‘-come out? You don’t have to move very far away, just too where I am. Then we can check you over, make sure you aren’t hurt and wait until your friend comes back.’ She coaxed. Looking up at the officers she straightened up from where she had been crouching, next to a fissure in the slope of the rubble. She held out a hand with a worn out smile.

 

‘Melody Harper, doctor and trauma councillor with the medic unit.’ She introduced, shaking his hand. ‘I can’t get him to come out. Since those soldiers tried to drag him out,’ She shot a glare at Major Brodrick ‘he’s retreated quite a ways in. I can’t even see him to assess his injuries.’

One of the soldiers moving rubble came cautiously down the slope, saluting Maes.

 

‘Private Redfern, reporting sir.’

 

‘At ease.’ Maes said automatically.

 

‘Lieutenant Colonel, with your permission we would like to call in an alchemist to helps stabilize the rubble and shift it.’    

 

‘Request denied.’ Maes replied picking up a piece of stone with odd markings on it ‘This lab was used for alchemical research, who knows if there is still a complete array down there that might get activated.’ Maes looked around speculatively.

 

‘Private,’ he said turning back to the man ‘am I correct in assuming we are below ground level?’

 

‘Some of the debris do indicate that sir.’

 

‘Major’ Maes asked turning to Brodrick ‘Do you have any blueprints of this laboratory here?’

 

‘Over there.’ The Major indicated gesturing to a large flat piece of concrete where two men were looking over something. Maes walked over and commandeering the blueprint looked over it carefully. There was no basement.

 

‘An illegal lab.’ He murmured to himself

 

He walked back over to where the doctor was once again trying to coax the boy out; there wasn’t a peep out of the gap.

 

‘Alright everyone take a break for ten.’ He called out loudly ‘Go get something to eat and drink.’ He turned towards the medic. ‘You too, I’ll keep an eye on the boy. Major, see if you can find a blanket and bring it back here.’

 

‘But sir-‘ The Major began to say eying the stack of blankets next to the gap. The Lieutenant Colonel winked at the Major, putting a finger to his lips in a shushing motion and pointing towards the gap. A ray of understanding entered the younger man’s eyes.

 

‘Yes, sir’ The Major said playing along before walking back to the fringe of the crater. Maes seated himself next to the crack, leaning cautiously against the rubble. He winced as a piece of concrete dug into his back and shifted into a more comfortable position.

 

‘You know, it’s a really nice day.’ he commented looking up at the blue sky. ‘Good thing you didn’t cause the explosion on a rainy day. I’m not too fond of working in the rain. Usually makes getting any evidence hell. Then again today was supposed to be my day off, and I get a call at five am telling me there’s been a massive explosion to investigate.’ He paused to listen. There was a shuffling sound from within the crack. Maes continued his monologue. ‘I bet my lovely Gracia is taking my darling Elysia out to the park today, so does love to feed the ducks and she is so adorably cute when she does, actually she’s adorable whatever she does. You should have seen her last week running around the park, in her little yellow dress. Want to see pictures?’ He asked excitedly brandishing a stack at the gap.

 

 

‘Well this one’s of her chasing a butterfly... and here we have her baking a mud cake, Gracia wasn’t too happy about the dirt, but my little Elysia was soooo cute... and here she is feeding the ducks, isn’t she the most adorable little poppet... now this is her with my lovely wife... this one is one she took of me when I fell asleep on the couch, I just know she’s going to be a budding photographer...’ He trailed off, leaving the pile of photos just in the entrance of the cave. ‘I hope, there won’t be any overtime tonight, else I’ll only have time to read my darling daughter a bed time story. Do you like stories?’ Maes paused, his eyes sliding to where the photographs had been.

 

‘Well,’ Maes said continuing his monologue ‘I’m getting a little thirsty, I think I’ll look for something to drink. Do you want something? How about some hot chocolate?’ He asked the gap. There was silence.

 

‘Tea.’

 

The voice was so soft, Maes almost missed it.

 

‘What did you say?’ Maes asked, a smile starting to cross his lips. There was a cough.

 

‘I prefer tea. No milk, no sugar.’

 

‘Sure. I’ll see if I can find some.’ Maes walked over the where the Major was waiting. ‘See if you can find some tea. The rescue team should have some. Makes sure they don’t put any sugar in it.’

Maes contemplated the boy as the Major left. Although he hadn’t said more than eight words, the voice was familiar, where could he have heard it before? Maes still couldn’t place the voice by the time the Major came back with a thermos and two battered mugs. He handed them back over to the Lieutenant Colonel with a salute.

 

Maes made his way back over to the crevice. Pouring a mug, he left it once again in the mouth of the gap, next to the photos that had reappeared. He sat down and poured himself a mug, taking a noisy slurp, while keeping an eye on the mug just inside the crack. A small dirty hand reached out and took the mug. Maes smiled to himself. He had guessed the situation correctly. The boy didn’t trust anything, but that was to be expected, if what Maes suspected was true.

 

Maes rambled on about anything he could think of, work, life, the military, the weather, what was going on in the city. He watched as the little hand placed the mug back out, immediately picking it up and filling it with tea again. He silently placed the tea just outside the cave, a little further than before, while still talking to the boy. There was a shuffling sound and the hand emerge once again, this time a little more of the bruised arm was visible, a small streak of dried blood ran along it. That caused a red flag to go up in Maes mind; it could mean the kid was seriously hurt, but then again, if he had been able to fight off three fully grown men, albeit one at a time, and he was consciousness enough to severely mistrust everyone, it was unlikely the injury was life threatening, or that he was suffering from blood loss.  

 

Maes looked up at the birds flying across the sky, tossing a piece of rubble from one hand to the other. There was silence for a while, the murmur of the military at the edge of the site and the occasional chirrup of a bird broke the silence. ‘You know’ Maes said finally breaking the silence ‘There’s military surrounding this building, or rather, what’s left of it. Your friend might not be able to make it through. Why don’t you tell me what he looks like and I’ll ask the soldiers to keep an eye out for him.’

 

‘He’s not my friend and I don’t know what he looks like.’ The voice said from the gap. Maes frowned, the piece of rubble lying still in one hand.

 

‘Not your friend?’ He asked puzzled ‘How come you don’t know what he looks like?’

 

‘He belongs to me and it was dark.’ Came the petulant reply. Maes frowned deepened. He knew he’d heard this voice before, but from where would he know it from? It could not be one of Elysia’s friends, their speech was not this complicated yet. Maybe it was time to push a little harder.

 

‘I think we’ve established I’m not going to harm or drug you.’ Maes stated bluntly, a serious look on his face. There was silence for a few moments.

 

‘You could still be trying to trick me into coming out, then pounce on me. Like those men before...’ The boy said suspiciously, the fragile voice trailing off into insecurity. Maes frowned again. Did the boy mean the soldiers or was he referring to an earlier time?

 

‘If I wanted to do that, I could have grabbed your arm the second time you took the tea. I could also have drugged your tea, then crawled in and pulled you out.’ Maes pointed out patiently. ‘You realize that you will have to come out from there at some stage, even if it’s only to get food or when your friend comes.’

 

Silence once again. Maes could almost hear the boy thinking.

 

‘It’s a nice day out, and I could do with some company out here. If what I’m guessing is correct, you haven’t seen sunlight for some time. So why don’t you come out?’ Maes looked up at the sky, a stray cloud in the shape of a chicken wandering towards the sun. Maes looked towards the gap when he heard a yelp of pain. The boy had emerged, but his longish, dark and dirty hair had gotten snagged on a steel rod protruding from a part of the concrete. Maes leaned over to free the boy, but the boy jerked back as if trying to retreat back in.

 

‘No need to panic, I’m just going to untangle your hair.’ the Lieutenant Colonel soothed, using the same tone he used when Elysia had a nightmare. Gently he untangled the hair before taking a good look at the boy.

 

A mistrustful bright blue eye glared at him, the other closed, as the boy hugged himself with one dirt streaked and scrawny arm. The boy was absolutely filthy, dirt and who knows what else streaked across his skin. He wore a large tattered shirt that reached down almost to his knees. It was clear that the boy wore nothing else underneath, mainly because Maes could see through the large rips and tears in the piece of cloth.

 

It was also beyond the ability of the shirt to hide the bruises littering the malnourished body. Despite the boy quickly sitting down next to him, Maes was able to catch a glimpse of hand shaped bruises around each ankle, one of which looked painfully swollen. Even though the boy made an effort to hide his arms, Maes could see a plethora of needle marks and more hand prints. The boy sat hunched over, making it difficult for Maes to see his neck, but he would bet every photo he had of Elysia, that there would be hand shaped bruises around his neck or shoulders.

 

The boy’s single blue eye studied Maes critically. There was something familiar about the boy that Maes couldn’t quite place. He reminded him of someone in the military, but he couldn’t put a name to the face.

 

Maes handed the blanket next to him over to the boy, who took it silently uncurling a little to wrap it around himself. This allowed Maes a clear view of the slender neck, bony shoulders and the bruises littering it. Equally silently, Maes waved the Major over. The boy’s head shot up at the sound of boots crunching over rubble.

 

‘It’s alright.’ Maes said calmly staring into a panicked blue eye. ‘I’m just going to ask him to fetch a first aid kit and a doctor to check over your injuries.’ Maes turned to talk to the Major. When he turned back he was surprised to see the boy quietly cleaning himself; dipping a corner of the blanket into the tea and using it to clean off the dirt and streaks of blood. It was not until the boy had cleaned his face and part of his mattered hair that Maes recognized him. It all fell into place the moment the boy turned to face Maes fully; the finely arched eyebrows, small petite nose, the delicate jaw line, the pierced left ear with the small blue stud, the distinctive blue-black hair... Maes barely believed it to be possible. The boy was thought to be dead.

 

‘Ciel?’ He asked almost hesitantly. The boy’s single eye widened in a flare of surprise.

 

‘How-’ He began to ask before clapping one hand over his mouth and scrambling back towards the gap.

 

‘I worked with your father.’ Maes said quickly. Ciel hesitated in the mouth of his cave, body tensed to dive back in. Maes hastily continued ‘He worked in the military as an alchemist right? In the Intelligence department. I came over to your house quite frequently. Don’t you remember me? Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes?’

 

Ciel hesitated before nodding and warily sitting down next to Hughes. Maes’ mind raced. The entire Phantomhive family was assumed to have died in the fire that guttered their home, and the case had quickly been hushed up before Maes could begin a proper investigation. He had tried investigating into his friends murder, but had constantly hit dead ends as well as being reprimanded by the higher-ups. Something was most certainly being hidden.                      

 

He was torn from his thoughts by the arrival of the Major, with the doctor and first aid kit. The doctor took one look at the boy before reaching out to examine one of his arms.

 

‘Don’t touch me!’ snarled Ciel, suddenly turning vicious. The medic flinched back, surprise crossing over her features.

 

‘It’s alright Ciel...’ Maes tried to sooth the boy ‘She just wants to check for any injuries that we can’t see properly.’ He explained gently.

 

‘I don’t trust her.’ Ciel muttered, eyes narrowed and ice cold.

 

‘Well, how about I check for the injuries?’ Asked Maes. The doctor pursed her lips and seemed about to object, when Ciel spoke.

 

‘Fine.’ Ciel replied, a speculative eye summing up Maes.

 

‘What am I looking for?’ Maes asked as he took a proffered arm. The doctor sighed in resignation.

 

‘Check for any swelling and tenderness along the arm.’ She instructed watching them carefully. They continued like this for some time; the doctor diagnosing and instructing, while Maes tended to the injuries. They were startled out of this routine by a shout from the Major. All their attention was directed to a figure that was making its way down the rubble.

 

And it was definitely not military.

 

‘Halt!’ The Major shouted, levelling a gun at the advancing figure, which ignored him. The doctor retreated back, instinctively putting herself between the stranger and the boy, whilst Maes reached into his coat for his knives. Thus all the military personnel were surprised by the happy shout.

 

‘Sebastian!’ cried Ciel, a look of relief crossing his face. It took Maes only a moment to sum up the relationship between the two.

 

‘Stand down Major. It would appear the mysterious “ _He”_ has arrived.’ Maes finished wryly as the figure nimbly leapt down from the rubble. He straightened, and for the first time Maes got a good look at the man he would know as Sebastian Michealis. He appeared to be a young man in his mid twenties, with a lean, lithe build and taller than the average man. He was dressed in a rather formal black suit, a white shirt with a black necktie and waistcoat lay under the trim jacket. His hands were covered with white gloves, rather like the ones Roy wore, mused Maes. The young man’s facial structure was very much like the late Vincent Phantomhive. His black hair was longer and a little more unkempt than Vincent’s though, and his face a little narrower and skin paler.

 

‘I apologize for taking so long my lord, but I have finally secured lodgings for you.’ The young man said bowing to Ciel, while ignoring the shocked people around him.          

 

‘Lead the way then.’ Ciel told Sebastian, as he stood up. He painfully limped forwards a step or two before Sebastian swept him up and began to walk away.

 

‘P-put me down!’ Squealed an indignant Ciel ‘I can walk just fine on my own!’

 

‘You are limping and obviously hurt. Until I can make a proper examination, it is better that you do not walk and further exacerbate your injury.’ Sebastian said calmly trying to immobilize his struggling armful of master. ‘If you don’t keep still I will have to carry you over my shoulder like a child, my lord.’ threatened Sebastian mildly, smiling down at his small charge. Ciel froze for a moment before, giving up the fight and relaxing completely.

 

‘Fine.’ He muttered sulkily, his injured pride throbbing more than his injured ankle. ‘But only this time since I’m injured.’ He huffed. Sebastian carefully made his way up the rubble.

 

‘Wait a moment Ciel! You’re the only witness to what happened here. We need to talk to you.’ Called Maes

 

Ciel tugged on Sebastian’s jacket, causing him to pause in his climb. Ciel eyed Maes critically. ‘You may as well talk to Sebastian then. I’m tired.’ he announced, before indicating to Sebastian to continue on their way.

 

Maes followed the young Phantomhive and the man called Sebastian, a determined look on his face. He may not ever be able to solve his friend’s death, but the least he could do was to watch over his son.

 


End file.
